A Loathing Mark
by izzywolf22
Summary: I made a fic about the crew members and how they find out what a mark (not the 'X' mark) on Luffy's shoulder blade was and its story. NOT CONNECTED TO LUFFY'S ACTUAL BACKSTORY, IT'S MY IDEA OF A MORE TRAGIC BACKSTORY.


**Since Move on and Smile and The Many Talents of Luffy are on hiatus, I had many ideas and I had to write them down and complete them before they go away, so I made a fic about the crew members find out what a mark (not the 'X' mark) on Luffy was and it's story. NOT CONNECTED TO LUFFY'S ACTUAL BACKSTORY, IT MY IDEA OF A MORE TRAGIC BACKSTORY.**

The Strawhats are recovering from a battle they just faced an hour ago, everyone was getting looked at leaving Luffy last. Luffy was nervous, he just got reunited with his crew, but what made him nervous is that over the two years something he loathed was now noticeable on his body again, and now he doesn't have anyone to hide it for him.

"Luffy come in please." Chopper said, the crew was just standing right out of the sick bay, Luffy reluctantly went in.

Chopper went through and checked everything and surprisingly missed it, Luffy let out a small sigh of relief after all over the years that _thing_ looks like an old birthmark, now he just needs to find a way to get rid of horrid _THING_ off of him.

When Luffy's examination was done, it was night time already and Brook was to be on watch. Everyone went and retired for the night, Luffy still in a clad of bandages went to sleep not noticing a certain swordsman saw something unusual on his captain's body but he retired anyway, he can question Luffy tomorrow.

On Rusukaina, training with Rayleigh, when he had a nightmare he learned how not to wake up screaming or waking anyone else near him. It took time but he learned to wake up silently so no one would worry for him despite Rayleigh's concerns.

" _Luffy how are your brothers?" Makino asked as the boys around them smiled, "They're awesome!", Luffy said happily. Someone came bursting through the door, "THE WORLD NOBLES ARE HERE!" the random man said. Makino eyes widened, "Wait why aren't they at Goa?!, WHY HERE!?" Makino shouted in fear. Ace, Sabo and Luffy looked scared._

" _Makino what's going on?!" Luffy yelled, Makino turned to them and kneeled to their height, "Ace, Sabo, Luffy whatever you do you need to promise me something." Makino said seriously they nodded, "If a person in white commands you to do something, do as they say!" Luffy was shocked to see Makino so shaken up, but the three reluctantly complied._

 _They went outside, the nobles were sitting on their slaves, Makino made the three kneel as shushed them along with the others. The nobles were looking and were picking people. They came to where the ASL trio and Makino kneeled._

 _Luffy wanted to speak, but he promised Makino he wouldn't no matter what. The noble commanded a guard to pick Luffy and Ace up and Makino wanted to cry, Sabo looked and glared at the noble Saint Jalmack. "Stop looking at me like that you peasant!" being known for who they are, Makino went wide eyed, Sabo didn't regret that little thing he did but he wished they didn't have to be cold-blooded, he smiled at his two borthers before being shot and killed by the noble._

 _Makino looked like she wanted to faint right there, but Luffy and Ace were teary eyed, but before they did anything the noble just tossed Luffy and Ace into the cart sedated with the other new slaves._

 _Luffy knew where he was going, he heard his jii-chan spoke of it a few times, he knew where he was going and it was_ _ **hell**_ _._

 _When they reached the slave grounds, they lined up all the new slaves. The guard came up to Luffy. "Name, age, date of birth and possession of a devil fruit?" Luffy knew he had to respond he can't mess around here anymore, he had to do what they said or it's the end of the line and he still had a dream to accomplish. It may take a while but he will not break, he had to man up even though he wanted to cry, but seeing his brother shot and killed in front of him was unbearable._

" _M-monkey D. Luffy, age 7, May 5th… I have the Gomu Gomu no mi" Luffy spoke low, Ace turned to him, he sighed knowing this is their only choice. The guard went to Ace with the same question. "G- Portgas D. Ace..age 10, January 1st...no devil fruit." the guard kicked Luffy and Ace into a cell, Ace was glad that the guard didn't separate them or hear the slip up, after what happened he was lucky to not say his full name._

 _It was only four hours or so, a guard came in with a box and ushered the two in a cold and dark room. They changed Ace's normal cuffs into sea prism ones like his little brother, Luffy and Ace were still confused and devastated until a guard basically shoved the Mera Mera no mi down Ace's throat._

 _After some time they put Ace and Luffy on the table and held them down with steep cuffs connected to the table. The two brothers looked at each other, Ace had a feeling of what was going to happen he felt bad for Luffy, when Luffy got burned his rubber ability protected him somewhat but now he has normal skin._

 _They continued to look at each other, and not a second later the two were branded._

 _Ace wanted to hold his screams but this time he couldn't, he screamed along with his little brother for what seemed like an eternity._

Luffy eyes opened wide, it was around 5 in the morning the others were still asleep, Luffy was teary eyed at the nightmare, he exhaled, got up, and went to the deck to get his mind off of his horrible childhood memories.

No matter what Luffy was still thinking about it, "Great way to start the day" he sarcastically said to himself, yes he can be sarcastic. He touched his left shoulder blade, he wondered how his slave mark became visible again, he always hid it well by scretching his skin or it was hidden in cloth, or bandages , he even begged Ace to burn it no matter how much Ace protested when they escaped.

What he didn't know is that the bandages that Chopper put on the day before didn't cover the whole mark.

Zoro was the second to wake, he remembered what he saw yesterday and decided to ask Luffy, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be good but he rather be the only one to know about it than everyone knowing if Luffy wasn't comfortable.

He saw Luffy's bed empty and went to find him. He went up to the deck to see his captain sitting on the figurehead. Zoro went next to him, "Morning.", he said casually as Luffy replied the same. Zoro saw the half covered mark again, he looked at Luffy who turned to him.

"I have a feeling what i'm about to say is something you won't like…" Luffy tensed but looked at him anyway. "Luffy?..What's on your left shoulder blade?, it half covered." Luffy moved his neck that only he can do and saw indeed that his slave mark was half visible, he grabbed the bandage and covered the whole thing up without trying to panic. He looked to Zoro and said in a really serious voice, "It's nothing Zoro."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, he barely missed the hint of fear in his voice. Zoro used his haki to make sure no one was watching them, a.k.a. Robin. "Luffy i'm the only here and your best friend... you can tell me." Zoro surprisingly said in a comforting manner.

Luffy sighed, he knew they were bound to find out as much as he didn't want that to happen. "You guys were probably going to find out anyway since it's visible now...I guess i'll tell you first, i'll explain more of the details later." Zoro clearly heard the reluctance in his captain's voice, it was unnatural to see his captain like this, yet he feels honored knowing he is the first to know despite knowing how bad the news might be.

Luffy scratched his neck, he pulled part of the bandage on his back to show the mark he had for years. "You probably seen something like this before, I hid this in so many ways, I even asked Ace to burn it, yet it became visible after the war I suppose…." Zoro was patient, the mark was barely familiar, he braced for what his captain was going to say.

"When I was seven, I received a mark of a slave that belongs to the celestial dragons." Zoro only eye widened, ' _well that explains his hatred for the fuckers.'_ he regained his composure, still a little shocked.

"...Wow…" Luffy had his face shaded, Zoro wasn't the comforting type but he couldn't help ruffle Luffy's hair in reassurance that nothing was wrong. Luffy gave a silent thank you.

Luffy sighed, "Might as well cover it until everyone's on deck." Luffy said monotonically. Zoro pat Luffy's back, "Don't worry Sencho i'll help."

Zoro was still shocked even though he didn't show it, he couldn't imagine how hard it was since Luffy was a kid, he was glad that Luffy can smile, even after this and his brother's passing.

The two sat in nerved but comfortable silence, waiting for the crew to get on the deck.

It was about 1 in the afternoon, everyone ate lunch and were relaxing on the deck right now

Luffy looked at Zoro who nodded, he walked over to Luffy who was tense, "Hey Luffy I doubt they'll say anything offensive of the matter." Zoro whispered to him. "I know but it's not something you can just blurt out and I hope i don't have to explain everything from the beginning..some of that's hard to go through y'know..i'll be fine I hope, and if they ask i'll tell. " Luffy exhaled and Zoro stood by to offer support or to give a glare if needed.

Luffy had Zoro lower the bandages and walked around, he thought is was easier if someone pointed it out then him actually having to tell them. Zoro looked at Luffy, in three minutes they heard Robin gasp. "Sencho-san….is that?" Robin couldn't even finish her sentence, Luffy nodded.

Out of the crew, Robin, Franky, Brook, and now Zoro knew what the mark meant. "What Robin?" Nami said, Robin usually the one with a calm expression kept her head low with a hand over her mouth.

Luffy scratched the back of his neck, Franky was crying muttering "Luffy-bro" and Brook just kept his head down. "Zoro found out yesterday..technically and I knew since my mark was visible, one of you would accidentally see it… so i'm just going to tell you know."

Luffy gave an accidental shuddering sigh in which Zopo patted him in the back for. "Well does this mark seem familiar to any of you guys who don't know what this means?" the others thought for a while but no one spoke up.

"Jinbei has a tattoo over this mark, the new tattoo was his crew's mark over this, and a lot of fishman has the same tattoo like Hatchi… this mark I have on my back...is the mark of the Celestial Dragon...I was their slave…" Luffy finished.

Nami was teary eyed and had a hand over her mouth, Usopp was paled, Sanji cigarette fell and hide wide eyes, Robin, Franky, and Brook had their same face, and Chopper was crying.

"How?" one of them muttered, Luffy internally screamed, he hoped no of them would ask even though it was obvious they would, but he can't keep secrets unless they don't figure out. This whole thing would've been unknown if Zoro didn't see the mark, not that he blamed him.

Zoro looked at all of them, but stayed silent since he only knew that Luffy was a slave not the whole story.

The two sat down on the deck "Well it was after Shanks left, I was dumped to live in the forest with some mountain bandits, I met Ace, and my other late brother Sabo there, we didn't like each other at first but we eventually got along. One day I went back to the village next to the forest, we went to the bar that was owned by a nice woman named Makino. It was the second time she met my brothers, it was a nice day until we heard the celestial dragons were docking."

The others gasped when they heard Luffy had another late brother, but they listened anyway.

"I remember Makino panicking, she told the three of us what to do when the noble came around, we wouldn't have listened but seeing Makino panic so much we complied." Luffy looked down.

"We kneeled and the noble came up to Ace and me, when they picked us up -" Luffy slowly brought his knees to his chin with his eyes shaded.

"Sabo glared at St. Jalmack and because of that he was shot and killed right in front of us, I wish i could've deflected it but i couldn't...before me and Ace could do anything they sedated us and threw us in the slave trading cart."

Luffy took a pause, some wept at the story, even Robin lept a tear slip out, knowing the similarity to Luffy's troubles.

"After that I knew I couldn't mess around anymore, that day I stopped smiling, my face was emotionless just like Ace's. It was only four hours and the guard shoved a devil fruit down Ace's throat, they took us together and branded us. It was until our 5th year there somehow they were bombing where all the slaves including us two were held, someone freed us and we escaped." Luffy smiled a somewhat dark smile.

"After we made sure all the slaves were out, we tore the slave households to the ground, then we came back to the forest where we lived and trained to get our bodies back in shape, Ace was lucky since he was somewhat a preteen so his body was normal, but I wasn't so lucky, I was more malnourished, and that gave me a weak appearance, shorter than the average male, no visible muscle...it sucked." Luffy finished.

The crew was thinking, they thought that it was amazing how Luffy lived through that at such a young age to be his overly happy self, but now that you think about it explains some of his personality traits.

After some weeping, Usopp spoke, "I'm glad for you being the way you are, but how are you like this though..always happy or looking happy?" the others thought in agreement, after all Robin took a while to have people want to protect her, to put a genuine smile on her face, how did Luffy do it.

Luffy thought about the question, he kinda wondered himself, I mean he was a slave, a slave that _NO 7 year old should go through_ _,_ he just lost his brother two years ago, and he lost Sabo twelve years ago, he came up with an answer.

"Probably since I got out of there, I took great advantage of the stuff I had at the time and now, I never broke the habit...and with those two, Me or Ace barely had anytime to mourn for him, but when we escaped we were both given Sabo's last things...that's when we let it out, and Ace and I were a wreck." Luffy said as he remembered what happened at Marineford.

"I honestly don't know how I managed to become like this when I was little, and two years ago I honestly just remembered you guys, of course it took some time but you were all my motivation." the crew was touched by their captain's words.

The rest of the day they cheered Luffy up, not judging just having a their own special bond day, making sure their captain was happy with himself and with life.

 **Yes I know Luffy and Zoro are kinda OOC, and I just live for making my characters have sad tragic stories, anyway I hoped you enjoyed this one shot!**


End file.
